Tongue construction for shoes



March 24, 1953 M. D. HERCEG 2,632,260

TONGUE CONSTRUCTION FOR SHOES Filed July 27, 1951 INVENTOR Matt .D flierceg BY MM ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 24, 1953 WES @FICE This invention is directed to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel tongue construction adapted for use in mens or womens shoes.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a tongue construction which enhances the comfort of the shoe; the tongue being held in place against lateral slipping and in a manner to minimize the possibility of pinching the foot.

A further object of the invent on is to provide a tongue construction wherein the tongue is removably attached to the shoe, whereby new tongues can, be substituted to replace worn tongues,,or replaced for color or ornamental design changes.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel tongue construction wherein the removable tongue is detachably secured in the shoe at one point by a snap and at the other points by the shoe lacing.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a tongue construction for shoes which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Stil1 a further object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable tongue construction for shoes, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a man's shoe, of ba1 type, including the novel tongue construction; the tongueat the forward end-being under the vamp.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but with the forward end of the tongue exposed above the vamp.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the tongue on a mans shoe of blucher type.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the tongue, detached.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6, the tongue is indicated generally at I, and is shown as in use in connection with a mans shoe of ba1 type; the shoe including a sole 2; a vamp 3; a toe i; an inside quarter-portion 5; an outside quarter-portion 6; and a rear quarter-portion "i.

As usual in this type of shoe, the quarter-portions 5 and 6 are sewn along the outer edge, as at 8 and 9, to the vamp, except that in the pres- 1 Giaim. (CI. 36-54) ently shown shoe the inside quarter-portion is. of considerably reduced length relative to the,

outside quarter-portion S, and said quarter-portions are connected by a diagonal lacing arexistent between the forward edge of the inside;

quarter portion 5 and the rear portion of the vamp 3.

The tongue I, positioned as above, is removably held in place as follows:

Adjacent one side and intermediate its ends the tongue is formed with a snap part I2, and a cooperating snap part i3 is fixed to the inside quarter-portion 5 on the under surface; such snap parts i2 and it normally being engaged.

A pair of longitudinally spaced eyes M are formed in the tongue I adjacent the opposite edge thereof; such eyes l4 matching with corresponding ones of the eyes I5 in the outside quarter-portion 6 through which the diagonal lacing It is threaded. Corresponding loops of the diagonal lacing Hi extend from the related eyes i5 through the eyes It, and such loops are connected below the outside quarter-portion 6 by a continuous or unbroken run of said diagonal lacing. Consequently, when the diagonal lacing ii! is tightened the tongue 5 is firmly and properly secured against the under side of the outside quarter-portion 5.

By removably securing the tongue I in the shoe, as above described, such tongue is always properly positioned and lies smooth against the foot, being held against lateral slipping and prevented from wrinkling and pinching the foot of the wearer.

Also, by securing the tongue as described, the portion of the tongue immediately ahead of the inside quarter-portion 5 is exposed, and without downward pressure from above; this being an important feature in the rel ef of the instep or arch directly rearwardly of the great toe of the wearer.

Under certain circumstances it is desirable that the forward or front end portion of the tongue 5 be worn outside the shoe; i. e. on top of the vamp 3, as when said forward portion of the tongue includes ornamentation H which it is desired to exhibit. When the tongue is arranged with its forward portion outside or on top of the vamp 3, it appears as in Fig. 2; the tongue having slits l8 and I9 which extend laterally from opposite sides whereby to permit the tongue to project over the vamp, yet with the inside quarter-portion 5 and outside quarter-portion 6 engaging through the slits I8 and I9, as is necessary to permit the tongue to lie fiat ahead of said quarter-portions.

In Fig. 3 the tongue 20 is removably secured in the same manner as in Fig. 1, but it is here shown in connection with a mans shoe of blucher type, which shoe includes an inside quarter-portion 2| and an outside quarter-portion 22; said quarter-portions including an inside overlap 23 and an outside overlap 24, respectively. The inside overlap 23 is of considerably lesser forward projection than the outside overlap 24, and both of said overlaps are connected by a diagonal lacing arrangement 25.

Here the tongue 20 underlies the overlaps 23 and 24, being removably attached to the same by a snap 28 and the diagonal lacing 25 in substantially the same manner as in the embodiment of Fig. 1. The tongue 20, which may include ornamentation 21 on the top forward portion thereof, overlies the vamp as shown, with small lateral slits 20a and 28b at the forward ends of the overlaps 23 and 24.

The described tongue construction provides relatively great foot comfort, as the tongue is always held in proper position, and by securing means which do not exert undesirable downward pressure on the top of the foot.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a tongue construction as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the same, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

In an oxford type shoe which includes opposed spaced quarter-portions and a vamp projecting forwardly from said portions, a tongue separate and detached from the vamp and wider than the space between the quarter-portions and having lateral slits intermediate its ends, and means between and connecting the upper portion of the tongue to one quarter-portion and under the same and so that the slits are then alined with the upper end of the vamp whereby the portion of the tongue ahead of the slits may be selectively placed under and over the vamp alternately.

MATT D. HERCEG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 0 D. 97,194 Jordan Oct. 15, 1935 484,381 Watson Oct. 11, 1892 948,338 McMaster Feb. 8, 1910 970,393 Raymond Sept. 13, 1910 1,281,655 Ransom Oct. 15, 1918 1,809,998 Wernmark June 16, 1931 2,241,653 Weyenberg May 13, 1941 2,454,335 Nichols Nov. 23, 1948 

